Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-05-11
Calhoun and Civil Service Reform.

The Grafton at the unveiling of the stat.
ue of John G. Calhoun at Charleston, S. c.,
on the 26th of April, was delivered by Sec.
retary Lamar. Among other things in the
career of Calhoun, Mr.. Lamar referred to
his course in reference to executive patron
age, civil service and removal from office.
On the 9th of February, 1885. he made a
report on the extent of government patron
age which startled the country by its reve-
lations of the enormous sextent to which
the abuses of the system had grown, and
the degenerating influences it was exercis-
ing alike upon the government and the
character of the people. Animated and
acrimonious debates arose in the Senate up
on the facts stated in the report. In main
tenance of the positions assumed therein
Mr. Calhoun made speech which is per-
haps as applicable to the present time as it
was to those in which it was delivered.
After showing how alarmingly, tenn
has grown he proceeded to demonstrate the
causes which produced it, and which gave
to it its growth and its dangerous infuen-
ces. At the head of these causes he placed
"the practice 80 greatly extended, if not
for the first time introduced, of removing
from office persons well qualified, and who
had faithfully performed their duty, in or
der to fill the places with those who were
recommended on the ground that they be-
longed to the party In power" In speak
ing of the extent of its growth he stated
that Washington in his eight years of SER
vice had made but nine removals, Madison
but five, Monroe but ten, and that he,
whilst Secretary of War for more than seven
years, removed but two, and that for cause.
He said: $50 long as offices were consider
ed as public trusts, to be conferred on the
honest, the faithful and capable, for the
common good, and not for the benefit or
gain of the incumbent or his party; and SO
long as it was the practice of the govern
ment to continue in Office those who faith
fully performed their duties, its patronage,
in point Of fact, was limited to the mere
power of nominating to accidental vacan-
cies or to newly-created offices, and could,
of course, exercise but moderate influence
either over the body of the community or
of the oficeholders themselves; and when
the practice was reversed, when offices, in
stead of being considered as public trusts,
to be conferred on the deserving, were re-
garded as the spoils of victory, to be be-
slowed as rewards for partisan services
without respect to merit; when it came to
be understood that all who held Office held
by the tenure of partisan zeal and party
service, it is easy to see that the certain, di-
rect and inevitable tendency of such state
of things is to convert the entire body of
in int NJ ot,d IL, .r,
structions of power, and to raise up host |
of hungry, greedy and subservient parti- |
sans, ready for any service, however base |
and corrupt. Were premium offered fer |
the best means of extending to the utmost |
the power of patronage; to destroy love of |
country; to encourage vice and discourage !
virtue; and, in a word, to prepare for the |
subversion of liberty, and the establishment |
of despotism, no scheme more perfect could
be devised; and such must be the tendency /
Of the practice, with whatever intention |
adopted Or to whatever extent pursued"
He then called attention to the pledges |
of the party supporting the present admin
istration to put stop to this enormous |
abuse, and he asked, 'What justification
had been offered for so gross violation of
their pledges? l consider it," said Mr.. |
Calhoun, stas an evidence of that deep de-
generacy which pr ecedes the downfall of
republic, when those elevated to power for
get the promises on which they were ele-
Vated, the certain effect of which is to make
an impression on the pablic mind that all is
Juggling and trickery in politics, and to
create an indifference to political struggles
highly faYorable to the growth of despetic
power" Continuing, Mr.. Lamar said: 81
I'M proud to say, fellow citizens, that it has
been my good fortune to be associated with
one against whose administration the only
criticism which has been pronounced is his
sacred regard for similar promises and the
intrepidity with which he
stands by them.''